Hello from Studio Liverpool…
We wanted to touch base with you all to share some information about the impending release of the 2.10 update for Wipeout HD / Fury that’s coming soon
The 2.10 Update makes some small improvements to front-end functionality and addresses some minor issues with the audio. In addition, small issues that could affect gameplay or scores in the Eliminator and Detonator game modes have also been corrected.
Changes have also been made so that any adverts shown during loading screens will not adversely affect the loading times of the title. As many of you know, the functionality to display adverts during loading screens was first introduced in the 2.0 Update and originally didn’t function as intended, leading to extended loading times in some areas of the game.
This issue has now been resolved and we understand that a new advertising campaign in Wipeout HD is expected to launch across a number of European territories soon (no word yet on what is happening in North America). In the meantime, a range of PlayStation-specific ads will be making an appearance in the coming days.
Wipeout and in-game advertising and sponsorship have gone hand-in-hand since 1996, when a now famous energy drink appeared in the seminal Wipeout 2097 and over the years many brands and products have been associated with the series.
It is our hope that by adopting this approach to dynamic advertising, it will be possible to create new associations in a unique way. We have therefore focussed on ensuring that the advertising is embedded as sympathetically to the overall experience as possible.
Finally, we’d like to remind everyone who hasn’t experienced the awesome adrenaline-rush that is Wipeout HD Fury, that the game is now also available on BluRay across Europe and that a Wipeout HD + Fury Expansion bundle is available to download from the PlayStation Store.














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81 CommentsAdd Yours
51
Posted on 30 October, 2009 at 8:15 pm by sotc16
I have the Blu Ray version of this game,I just want to ask if this patch is included on it or have to download it
52
Posted on 31 October, 2009 at 8:26 am by HEADSTAR
im so lost in words, 3 times this morning i looked at your advertising. remove it
53
Posted on 31 October, 2009 at 8:27 am by HEADSTAR
wake up Mikel Arrien
54
Posted on 31 October, 2009 at 8:28 am by HEADSTAR
why ruin a game like wipeout, i dont get it we payed for the game
55
Posted on 31 October, 2009 at 8:31 am by HEADSTAR
come on wipeout’ers lets stand up and make a movement against Mikel Arrien
56
Posted on 31 October, 2009 at 11:06 am by EnergyCritical
The funny thing is the whole episode seems to be counter-productive to what the advertisers are hoping to achieve. It is a badly handled piece of anti-PR. It`s common sense why this advert campaign is not acceptable, and if the people behind it don`t understand why then they really need to get a better understanding of their customers. I won`t buy any product advertised in Wipeout HD.
57
Posted on 31 October, 2009 at 4:53 pm by Constrictor4U
A Markedroid from SCEE speaks for SL about in game, err, loading screen advertising and a patch. Two times epic fail.
- Fail 1: Patch (computing), fix for a software program.
Where is the fix? Did you even talk to those who play this game on a regularly basis since 12 months? Go and make your homework and fix the really important issues.
- Fail 2: Loading Screen ads in Online mode
They are highly annoying and killed the W’O” experience for me – even that I’m still somewhat addicted to it for the time being. You are digging your own grave. And just in case you are thinking about ad free Games/PSN at a monthly fee (nice one, right?): Try it!
58
Posted on 1 November, 2009 at 3:33 pm by Ziggy-Moff
Studio Liverpool, i will not buy another game from you again, you cannot treat your customers like this.
Not only do these adverts still increase load times BUT the update (if you can even call it that) even destroys the wipeout save files, nice job on that.
Devs like you shouldn’t be allowed to get away with treating customers like this.
59
Posted on 2 November, 2009 at 8:27 am by EnergyCritical
I would like to re-iterate the question that was made earlier. Why do you think it is okay to put adverts into this product that we already paid for and which did not have this kind of advertising when we bought it? By making us watch adverts in Wipeout HD you are effectively making us pay twice for this product, so how is this justified? After we bought the game from you once now you are getting paid again, in advertising revenue, but we are getting no additional benefit from watching these adverts. Only you are getting any benefit, but the cost is all to your customers. Is this fair? Why would it be okay for you to change a product in this way after we bought it? Please explain. If this is the future of the PSN I don`t want it. I will not buy a PSN game or a Studio Liverpool game again until these adverts are gone.
60
Posted on 2 November, 2009 at 8:30 am by EnergyCritical
I want to add that you have alienated a lot of people here. I would prefer to pay for an Xbox live subscription and not have in game advertising than have this sort of advertising on PSN games. I was once a very loyal Sony customer, but I think I am not so any more.
61
Posted on 3 November, 2009 at 2:22 pm by krioto
Congrats! I solemnly vow to never purchase any product advertised within WipEout.
Thanks for making a previously enjoyable experience turn into a crap ad bonanza.
62
Posted on 3 November, 2009 at 2:29 pm by krioto
And another thing – previously I promoted this game a lot, telling people how great it was.
No longer.
I can and do mute ads I see on tv – but now you shove them down our throats in game!!!!!
63
Posted on 4 November, 2009 at 10:01 am by mizunoori
Whoever is behind the advertising, you should wake up!
Even if you cover this in your terms of use/EULA, this is the wrong way.
Many WipeoutHD fans don´t like the advertising, even hate it. They will stop playing the game and warn other people about this matter.
So, do you want to lose customers? It´s like the real world outside. If something is good, only a few people will talk about it. But, if something is bad or annoying, everyone will talk about it with their friends or familiy. This will spread around like wildfire.
So, what do you want to do with the advertising? Lose even your hardcore Wipeout fans?
64
Posted on 5 November, 2009 at 7:43 am by Constrictor4U
Hey SCEE Marketing folks:
You say: “We have therefore focused on ensuring that the advertising is embedded as sympathetically to the overall experience as possible.”
I say: “I got 9 ads in 10 online races yesterday. Lot’s of 4 x Rocky 2 x Ghostbusters and 2 x Motorstorm. This makes me sick and is in NO way embedded sympathetically” 90% ads
And while we are on it. Give us a clue (where are the T&Cs?) that you are legally ok for messing up former ad-free game.
I still hope that you will see that this won’t lead to additional revenue – it will lead to the contrary – and the ad-downgrade will be removed asap.
While waiting that you are rethinking your decision I also hope that there are technically experienced people out there who provide a work-around to get back to an ad-free WOHD. If that does not work I second the discussion to take legal action against SCEE.
65
Posted on 5 November, 2009 at 4:09 pm by fleinn
..saw one Arctic Ridge/psp advertisement today. ..You know, I don’t really mind. The robo-voice was a nice attempt, at least. But.. the marketing people should be required to use the same art-style as in the game. The same assets, the same engine. Just running the advert as it is on the tv isn’t really going to cut it, if you want to justify putting it into a game people already paid for.
I mean, if you got the announcer voice to do a /Play-sta-tion/, or something like that, it would be perfectly fine. A small rotating model during the loading screen, made like the advertisements for the different products in the game, that would be cool. I’ve no idea if advertisers would be interested in hiring SL for designing adverts like that, or if SL would be interested in doing the job. But just dumping the same advert with some tweaks into the loading screen.. I’m grateful it’s not more intrusive than it is. But like other people say – unless it’s done extremely carefully, it just seems tacky.
66
Posted on 5 November, 2009 at 8:13 pm by fleinn
Anyway. ..just so it’s been said – Sony is going to respond to this, apologise, and remove the entire thing from the game eventually. Whether it’s noise-campaign or legal action that prompts it. You’re just not going to get away with abusing the possibilities given to you with digital distribution in this way.
67
Posted on 6 November, 2009 at 8:24 pm by drMannevond
Can someone from Sony or SL please point me in the direction of ALL user agreements, eula’s, terms of use etc. (basically anything we have to agree too before we can play HD/Fury online) that exist for PSN and WipeOut HD/Fury? All of those documents are required by law to be easily accessible at all times here in Norway.
Also – after reading way too many laws I’m still not sure if you’re actually breaking Norwegian law with your ads or just walking on very thin ice. Either way – complaints have been sent to the consumer protection agency and they’re looking into it (Same people that ordered Apple to close iTunes because their DRM was illegal). One can always hope
And one other thing, quoted from the bottom of this page :
“Remember: By submitting a comment, you agree to the terms of service accepted when you registered”
I never accepted those terms because I never registered here. I did however register with PSN on my PS3, and accepted THOSE terms of service. Minor logical fail
68
Posted on 7 November, 2009 at 1:03 am by lowrider007
Adverts are a disgrace, it would be understandable if they were there from the beginning but patching them in is unacceptable, we should be allowed a refund tbh.
69
Posted on 7 November, 2009 at 9:25 pm by ProblemSolver
Mikel, SCEE, and SUDIO Liverpool, you wanna know what we think about the
latest patch, will you?
I’ve wrote an article about how adverts have made it into WipEout HD,
and *how these ads have degraded the experience for many of its core gamers*,
over NeoGAF;
// NeoGAF: WipEout, quo vadis?
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=18383090&postco unt=4263
(Mikel, read the section about; ” Reactions from WipeoutZone (WOZ) members
during the week after patch 2.10 was released”)
I encourage everyone to read it fully. Feel free to comment at NeoGAF, at WOZ,
at EU PS community, or at N4G;
// EU PS community: who`s enjoying the ads in 2.10?
http://community.eu.playstation.com/playstationeu/board/message ?board.id=b_EN_G_Driving_wipeout&thread.id=5616
// N4G: Ads in WipEout HD, what’s your take?
http://forums.n4g.com/tm.aspx?high=&m=741356&mpage=1#74 1356
I will repeat myself now;
Dear SCE & STUDIO Liverpool,
please give me an option to remove the adverts out of my game. I paid my
money for WipEout HD and I don’t wanna have ads. Can you copy me?
/Robert — one of the strongest WipEout fan
70
Posted on 9 November, 2009 at 4:58 am by Koleax
I bought a PS3 just for Wipeout HD. I thought it was worth every penny. Now I think I’ve made a mistake. This sort of behavior will drive me away from the system completely, if it is not fixed soon.
Inserting ads into a game a year after purchase… unthinkable. You won’t even let us pay a premium for a version without ads. Why not?
You treat us all like we’re cheap and you treat Wipeout like a whore.
71
Posted on 9 November, 2009 at 12:18 pm by TheOrion
Ads in a game I have already PAID for? Utter stupidity seems to be passing around. See some sense, get the ads out of the game, or expect to lose buyers.
72
Posted on 9 November, 2009 at 5:01 pm by hdcase
Hey thanks for the ads Sony. I love to watch commercials while I play games. Hey remind me not to buy any more DLC for this game, well it won’t be hard since I won’t be installing this patch.
73
Posted on 12 November, 2009 at 9:43 am by krioto
Get the ads out of this game – this is the stupidest decision made by sony ths generation – and that is saying something as you guys have made some real pearlers.
Studio liverpool – how can you stand by whilst your game is transformed from the pinnacle of ps3 gaming into a cheap street walker, paying out to the highest bidder?????
74
Posted on 14 November, 2009 at 4:02 am by playstion3man
If you are putting advertising in it, it should be free or very cheap.
Back in the day advertising was to fund something that was free. Eg: free to air tv or a bus stop.
Now you guys are cashing in twice on us. We pay for the advertising. I just think its wrong. Give me my money back for the game or take the advertising out. I refuse to pay for advertising.
75
Posted on 14 November, 2009 at 4:26 am by playstion3man
we should have been made full awear of this before we purchased this title.
If I knew that advertising was going to be implemented in the game I would have never bought the game or fury.
If it was free fine advertise as much as you want. but it isn’t so take the ads out PLEASE!!!
76
Posted on 14 November, 2009 at 9:59 pm by migratorycoconut
I feel that I have been subject to bait-and-switch tactics by Sony, since it is not possible to play online now without having to watch commercials, when this was not originally part of the game that I paid for. I would like to play online as much as the next player, but I’m not updating to 2.10 until the ads are gone.
Please, at least offer those of us who don’t want video ads ruining this otherwise perfect game to buy our way out by paying full price ($60) for a disc version of the game that will _never_ have ads.
No ads on the disc, no ads that are later added with a patch. None. Gone.
77
Posted on 15 November, 2009 at 8:57 pm by migratorycoconut
(For those of you who feel like it, you can send an email directly to Sony here: http://us.playstation.com/Corporate/ConsumerServices.)
78
Posted on 15 November, 2009 at 8:58 pm by migratorycoconut
Sorry. Without the extra punctuation, it is http://us.playstation.com/Corporate/ConsumerServices
79
Posted on 16 November, 2009 at 5:19 pm by meepmeep
I AM NOT GOING TO BUY THE ROCKY BOXSET ON BLUERAY NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU ASK
80
Posted on 16 November, 2009 at 8:46 pm by Blind_Bartolo
This is really distasteful. As much of a Sony fan as I am, I find this sort of behaviour worrying. When I play a game I want to be immersed in it, not watch commercials. It starts with the loading screens, then what? Having a redbull sign in a wipeout game (I personally find this product placement form to be tacky, unless it fits in with the game) is one thing (hopefully the art department could at the least create the ads to work in the games style), but forcing players to watch an ad before the game loads.
81
Posted on 20 November, 2009 at 8:02 pm by EnergyCritical
You do know that load times are still longer with ads, anyway? So what you said in post is untrue. Not that that is the point – there should not be ads in a paid product.
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